UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM SERIES - INTRODUCTION: AWAKENING TO THE KINGDOM
- Kathryn Baker
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Dear Citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven,
Before we begin, I want you to understand something important: what you are about to study is not a religious program. It is a reorientation of your entire worldview.
Most of us were taught to "get saved." Yet, few of us were taught to "live as citizens of the Kingdom." We were trained to attend church, read our Bibles, and try our best to be good people. But Jesus did not come preaching a religion. He came preaching the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15)
The first message Jesus ever preached was not "accept me as your personal Savior." His first message was: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
Over the next twelve sessions, we are going to walk together through the ten essential components of the Kingdom of God. We will discover what was lost in translation when the gospel of the Kingdom became merely the gospel of personal salvation. And we will rediscover the fullness of what Jesus actually came to establish on the earth.
This will require honesty. You will be asked to examine beliefs you have held for years. You will be invited to release ideas that came from culture rather than Scripture. You will be challenged to step into an identity bigger than the one you've been carrying.
It is my prayer that by the end of this journey, you will not see yourself, your church, your finances, your relationships, or your purpose the same way again.
You are not just a believer. You are a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. You are not just a church member. You are part of a royal family. You are not just a Christian. You are an ambassador of the King of kings.
Welcome to the Kingdom. Let's begin.
Why We Don't Understand the Kingdom
To understand why so many believers struggle with Kingdom living, we must first understand where we are standing when we read the Bible.
Most modern Western Christians read Scripture through the lens of democracy. We were raised in a culture that teaches us we have rights, that we vote on leadership, that authority is something we agree to, and that we are free to interpret things for ourselves. This is the air we breathe — and we don't even realize how deeply it has shaped our spiritual understanding.
But the Bible was never written through the lens of democracy. The Bible was written through the lens of kingdom.
Every author of Scripture lived under a king. Abraham lived in a kingdom. Moses confronted a kingdom (Egypt). David established a kingdom (Israel). The prophets spoke into kingdoms. Jesus was born under a kingdom (Rome) and came preaching another kingdom (Heaven). The apostles lived as ambassadors of a kingdom while traveling through other kingdoms.
When Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), His listeners knew exactly what He meant. They understood kings, royal decrees, citizenship, ambassadors, treaties, territory, and royal authority. We don't.
For this reason, we have read Kingdom language with democratic eyes — and missed the weight of what was being said.
The Cost of the Disconnect
When we don't understand the Kingdom, we lose far more than theological accuracy. We lose:
Identity — We see ourselves as forgiven sinners instead of royal sons and daughters.
Authority — We pray as beggars instead of decreeing as ambassadors.
Provision — We strive in worldly economy instead of trusting Kingdom economy.
Mission — We see church as a place we attend instead of an army we belong to.
Purpose — We focus on going to Heaven instead of advancing Heaven on earth.
This is why so many believers feel powerless, anxious, financially squeezed, spiritually tired, and unsure of our purpose. We are trying to live a Kingdom life with a democratic mindset. It does not work — and it was never meant to.
What Jesus Actually Came Preaching
Read these passages carefully:
Matthew 4:17 — "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Mark 1:14-15 — "...Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying… repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Luke 4:43 — "...I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent."
Acts 1:3 — After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days "...speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."
Notice something crucial:
Jesus did not come preaching "accept me as your personal Savior."
Jesus did not come preaching "go to Heaven when you die."
Jesus did not come preaching "be a good Christian."
Jesus came preaching the Kingdom.
Salvation is the doorway into the Kingdom — not the destination. Heaven is the home base of the Kingdom — not the goal. Personal transformation is the evidence of the Kingdom — not the message.
The message has always been the Kingdom.
The Goal of This Journey
Over the next twelve sessions, we are going to recover what was lost. We are going to rebuild the Kingdom worldview that Jesus preached and the apostles modeled, the worldview that every believer was meant to walk in. We are also going to learn how to live — not as good Christians trying to make it to Heaven — but as citizens of Heaven living on assignment in the earth.
This session is the doorway. Let's walk through it together.
The Lens Problem
Most of us in the West were born and raised under a democratic-republic system, where:
• Power flows upward from the people to the leaders
• Citizens vote, debate, and choose their rulers
• Authority is shared, limited, and term-bound
• Individual rights are the highest value
• Leaders serve at the pleasure of the people
But a kingdom operates on the opposite paradigm. In a kingdom:
• Power flows downward from the King to the people
• Citizens do not vote — they submit and serve
• Authority is absolute, unshared, and lifelong
• The King's will is the highest value
• The people serve at the pleasure of the King
*This is why so much of the Bible feels foreign to the Western reader — we are reading a Kingdom Book through a Democratic Lens.
Now, let's explore 10 essential components that every true earthly kingdom has shared throughout history:
A KING (The Sovereign)
Every Kingdom must have a king. Not a president, not a prime minister, not an elected official - a king.
What makes a king different from every other form of leadership:
-A king is not elected - he is born into his role or appointed by divine right
-A king's word is law - there is no higher court of appeal
-A king owns everything in his kingdom - land and resources
-A king's authority is absolute and unquestioned
-A king reigns for life - not for a term
*In Western society the leaders are expected to serve the people, while in a kingdom, the people serve the king.
A DOMAIN (Territory/Land)
Every kingdom must have a defined land, a place where the king's rule is recognized and enforced.
-The domain is the physical expression of the king's authority
-Within those borders, the king's law is the only law
-Teh king's domain is sometimes won through conquest, sometimes inherited, sometimes given
-A kingdom's strength is often measured by the size and richness of its domain
SUBJECTS (The Citizens/People)
A kingdom must have people - subjects who live under the king's rule and benefit from his protection.
-Subjects are not equals with the king - they are under his authority
-Subjects pledge loyalty and obedience to the king
-In return, subjects receive protection, provision, and identity
-A subject's worth is tied to the kingdom they belong to
-Subjects bear the king's name, customs, and culture
CONSTITUTION/LAW (The king's word)
Every kingdom is governed by the king's word. The king's word is not negotiated, not voted on, but decreed.
-The king's word is law -written or spoken
-Once decreed, it cannot be revoked except by the king himself
-The law reflects the king's character and values
-Subjects are expected to know and obey the law
-Ignorance of the law is no excuse
*The Bible is not a self-help book, but it is the Word of the King and is the constitution of the Kingdom.
A ROYAL FAMILY (Lineage/Heirs)
The king's line (his sons, daughters, and household) carry the legacy forward.
-Royal children are born into status, not earning it
-The royal family represents the king when he is not present
-Heirs are trained from birth in the ways of the kingdom
-The royal family carries the king's authority by birthright
-Adopted children of the king share in royal status
AN ARMY (Defense & Enforcement)
No kingdom survives without the power to defend itself and enforce the king's will.
-The army protects the kingdom from outside enemies
-The army enforces the king's law within the kingdom
-The army expands the kingdom through conquest
-Soldiers are sworn to the king, not to themselves
-The army is the visible power of the king's rule
AN ECONOMY (Kingdom Wealth & Provision)
Every kingdom has a system of wealth. The king is responsible for the prosperity of his domain.
-The king owns the wealth of the kingdom
-The king provides for his subjects from the royal treasury
-The king's prosperity is the kingdom's prosperity
-Subjects do not lack when the king is generous
-Royal economies operate on giving, not earning
*In a kingdom, rather than earning everything, you receive from the king's storehouse.
A CULTURE (Customs, Language, Identity)
A unique culture; a way of speaking, dressing, eating, celebrating, and behaving that distinguishes its citizens from outsiders.
-The kingdom's culture reflects the king's character
-Citizens dress, speak, and act like the kingdom they belong to
-Foreigners can recognize a kingdom's citizen by their behavior
-Kingdom culture is taught from generation to generation
-To enter a kingdom is to adopt its culture
*Believers are called to live as a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9). We carry the culture of Heaven on earth.
AMBASSADORS/REPRESENTATIVES
A kingdom extends its influence through ambassadors, those who represent the king in foreign lands.
-An ambassador speaks with the authority of the king who sent them
-An ambassador does not represent themselves, they represent the kingdom
-An ambassador's needs are met by the king they serve, not the land they're in
-An ambassador carries the king's message and conducts the king's business
-Harm to an ambassador is harm to the king himself
A LEGACY/KINGDOM PURPOSE (The King's Vision)
Every kingdom exists for a purpose.
-The kingdom is the vehicle through which the king's purpose is fulfilled
-Every subject participates in advancing the king's vision
-The king's legacy outlasts his physical life
-A kingdom without purpose decays
-The king's purpose unifies the people
*The Kingdom of God exists to fulfill the King's purpose: to fill the earth with His glory (Habakkuk 2:14)
NATURAL TRUTH
In an earthly kingdom:
Citizens are born into a system they did not choose, but they grow up understanding it deeply.
They know the king has authority over their lives.
They know there are laws they must obey.
They know they have a role to play in the kingdom's economy.
They know other kingdoms exist — and they belong to this one.
Their identity, loyalty, and behavior are shaped by their citizenship.
A child raised in a kingdom culture does not need to be taught that the king has authority. It is the air they breathe.
SPIRITUAL REALITY
In the Kingdom of God:
We were born again into a Kingdom we did not earn or choose with our flesh — but we are now expected to learn it deeply.
Our King (Jesus) has total authority over our lives.
His Word is our law.
We have a role in His Kingdom economy and mission.
Other kingdoms exist (the kingdom of darkness, the kingdoms of this world) — but we belong to His.
Our identity, loyalty, and behavior must now be shaped by our Heavenly citizenship.
Many believers were never taught this. We were taught to "get saved" but never to "live as citizens." Now, begins the shift.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
Your Assignment
Before our next series post, I encourage you to do three simple but powerful things. Do them daily. Don't rush. Let them shift something inside you.
1. DAILY READING
Read Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 (The Sermon on the Mount) — but this time, read it through Kingdom eyes. Underline every time Jesus uses the word "kingdom." You will be shocked by how often it appears.
2. DAILY DECLARATION
Each morning, speak this aloud over yourself:
"I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ is my King. His Word is my law. I live in this earth — but I belong to His Kingdom. I am sent here as His ambassador. Today, I will represent Him well."
3. DAILY OBSERVATION
Throughout the day, notice when you operate from a democratic mindset (self-rule, personal preference, "what I think is right") versus a Kingdom mindset (submission to the King, obedience to His Word, ambassador identity). Journal what you observe if you so desire.
DECLARATION #1
Speak this aloud daily. Let it become the soundtrack of your week. Words shape worlds — especially the words you decree over your own life.
"I am awakening to the Kingdom.
I am now acknowledging that I am a citizen of Heaven.
Jesus Christ is my King.
His Word is my law.
His Kingdom is my home.
I release every mindset that does not align with His rule.
I receive every truth that establishes me as His ambassador.
I am not just saved — I am summoned.
I am not just forgiven — I am family.
I am not just a believer — I am a Kingdom citizen.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. In my life, as it is in Heaven.
Amen.
CLOSING SCRIPTURE
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son..."
— Colossians 1:13 (KJV)
PREPARING FOR SESSION 2
In our next session, we will meet our King.
We will move from "Why we don't understand the Kingdom" to "Who sits on the throne." We will study Jesus not just as Savior — but as Sovereign King of Kings. And we will learn what it truly means to be ruled, not just rescued.
Come hungry. Come ready. Come willing.
The journey has begun.
Comments